good he is. Its going to be a tough game. Its going to be fun. I think being at Citi Field -- for us, winning the home field -- cant be stressed enough because thats a big swing in advantage for us, [and] not having

AB de Villiers regards the 2015 World Cup semi-final defeat to New Zealand as the greatest disappointment of his cricket career and believes there could have been other considerations in the selection of the XI that took the field for that match last March.The revelation that racial dynamics played a role in Vernon Philander being selected ahead of Kyle Abbott came in the aftermath of the tournament and was confirmed by CSA, who said transformation targets were part of pre-match discussions, but this is the first time any of the players involved in the match has spoken out.De Villers recollections of the events are published in his book, AB: The Autobiography, which launched in Johannesburg today. The penultimate chapter, called The Dream, goes in-depth into the 2015 World Cup - revealing that South Africa kept a collective diary in which players made daily entries, and reiterating de Villiers conviction that South Africa could lift the trophy.Despite two losses in the group stage, South Africa advanced to the semi-final after achieving their first-ever win in a World Cup knockout match when they beat Sri Lanka in the quarterfinal in Sydney. De Villiers wrote that it was generally assumed the same team would play against New Zealand.That team included three players of colour in Hashim Amla, JP Duminy and Imran Tahir. Throughout the tournament South Africa had played between three and five players of colour in their matches and had not received instruction on any specific number. At 5:30pm on the night before the semi-final, half an hour before South Africas team meeting, de Villiers got a call - he does not say from whom - to tell him that Philander had passed a fitness test earlier and would play instead of Abbott.While considering the reasons for the change in selection, de Villiers explains how he knew that an incumbent player who is injured will automatically go back into the team when he returned to fitness. Philander had spent some of the tournament on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, so if he was fully fit, it would be the norm to recall him. De Villiers also sensed the selectors thought Vernon would thrive in New Zealand conditions, given his ability to move the ball off the seam on tacky surfaces. All the same, it seemed to de Villiers that there could have been other considerations.In contemplating the possbility that there was a quota at play, de Villiers recalls the teams understanding of the situation at that stage. We had been assured that Cricket South Africa was the only national governing body in the country that had declined to set a target for the number of players of colour to be included in the national team but there was a delicate balance to be struck and it was generally understood that, as they chose the side, the national selectors would be conscious of providing opportunities for at least four players of colour.So what had happened? Had Vernon, who was officially classified as coloured, been selected ahead of Kyle, who was officially white, to ensure there were four players of colour in the semi-final? Or had the decision been made for purely cricketing reasons?De Villiers does not answer those questions himself. Instead, in the book, he details the effect it had on him.It depressed me to think of my team-mates in these outdated racial terms, he writes. Would anyone really mind if there were three or four players of colour in our side?At the team meeting, de Villiers did not address the issue either. He delivered a stirring speed using a line from a One Republic song to inspire the team: We owe it to each other to promise each other that with every broken bone were going to leave it out there tomorrow.That night, coach Russell Domingo sent de Villiers a text telling me how much the team needed my leadership and former coach Gary Kirsten also made contact, urging me to be calm and positive. De Villiers did not sleep well, admitted he was emotional and regarded the situation as unnecessary and unfair on everybody.His first thought in the morning was, I hope Vern will be OK, but he vowed not to overreact because I still dont know for certain what happened. De Villiers convinced himself to treat it as just another obstacle to be overcome.South Africa lost the match on the final ball and de Villiers blamed the defeat on their failure to take five clear opportunities ... three possible run-outs and two catches, and not on the selection saga. We didnt lose because of the decision to replace Kyle with Vernon, he writes.In the aftermath, de Villiers was devastated. He chided himself to lose properly even as he cried on the field and later in the change room when he saw his family.In broader terms, de Villiers is supportive of transformation. I was certainly not blind to the wider issues and I regard the process of transformation in South African cricket not as something imposed on the game but as something that was morally the right thing to do.He also maintains that winning an official World Cup with the South African team had become my burning ambition, which suggest he may play a fourth edition of the tournament, in 2019.De Villiers has already been part of three failed campaigns. He put South Africas semi-final loss in 2007 down to simply trying too hard. He does not offer many reasons for the 2011 loss to New Zealand but reveals that then-captain Graeme Smith warned them that, when they got home, daggers and stones will be thrown. Smith did not make the trip back with the team.De Villiers has also competed in six World T20s and captained in two. The 2016 one left its biggest mark on him. South Africa exited in the first round and de Villiers said there was nothing new to say and nothing new to think with regards to that, except that facing the media in such situations was no fun. It will never be much fun until a Proteas team finally goes out and wins one of these ICC limited-overs tournaments. That will happen one day. Michael Irvin Jersey . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal. DeMarcus Ware Womens Jersey .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. http://www.cowboysrookieproshop.com/Cowboys-Demarcus-Ware-Jersey/ . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. Bill Bates Womens Jersey . He just needed to be his best twisting, turning acrobatic self. "I didnt need to be anybody else, I just needed to be myself and be aggressive," said Burks, who scored a career-high 34 points to spark the Utah Jazz to a 118-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. Chuck Howley Womens Jersey . Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as a free agent with Cleveland in March, reported symptoms on Monday morning, a team spokesman said. NEW YORK -- Sure, the New York Mets have to face Madison Bumgarner in the National League wild-card game Wednesday.Well, Mets manager Terry Collins noted, the San Francisco Giants have to face Noah Syndergaard. So they should have their hands full, too.Syndergaard (2.60) finished third in the majors in ERA, followed by Bumgarner (2.74) at fourth.Its the big leagues. Youre going to face great pitching in the postseason, Collins said. I know theyre in their clubhouse saying, Wow, weve got to face Syndergaard. It should be a great game. ... Theyre a great team. They had a rough second half. Everybody knows that. But theyre very talented. I know theyre probably banged up a little bit like we are.Syndergaard originally was slated to start Sundays game against the Philadelphia Phillies if it turned out to be meaningful, but instead he threw a bullpen session at Citizens Bank Park and focused on preparing for Wednesday.Syndergaard and Bumgarner squared off at Citi Field on May 1 in a 6-1 victory by the Giants. Syndergaard allowed four runs in 5? innings and surrendered a two-run homer to Hunter Pence in that game, while Bumgarner tossed six scoreless innings.Syndergaard rebounded to toss eight scoreless innings in a 2-0 win against the Giants on Aug. 21 at AT&T Park. Bumgarner allowed four runs -- all on a grand slam by the now-injured Justin Ruggiano -- in five innings in a no-decision earlier in that series. Bumgarner also homered against Jacob deGrom in that game.Its funky. [Bumgarner] is stepping at you and coming from behind you, Mets infielder Kelly Johnson said of the left-handers delivery. ... The man can pitch. Hes almost like a DH in the lineup, too. So weve got to worry about that. His track record speaks for itself.I dont think I have to sit here and talk about how good he is. Its going to be a tough game. Its going to be fun. I think being at Citi Field -- for us, winning the home field -- cant be stressed enough because thats a big swing in advantage for us, [and] not having to travel across the country, too.ddddddddddddSaid Collins: If you get balls to hit, you better hit them. Because if you let him get ahead of you, youre in trouble.The Mets revived their season during that mid-August series at San Francisco.After losing the opening two games at AT&T Park, the Mets had dropped to 60-62 and had fallen 5? games behind the Cardinals for the second wild-card spot. However, Yoenis Cespedes and Asdrubal Cabrera returned from the disabled list during that series and the Mets took off, winning the final two games in San Francisco and ultimately going 27-13 to close the regular season.Cespedes had three homers in the two games he played against the Giants in that series.The Mets have posted the best record in the majors since Aug. 20, buoyed not only by Cespedes and Cabreras returns but by the performances of rookie right-handers Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman.We started to get our pieces back. Theres no question, Collins said, reflecting on the series in San Francisco. We knew we had to hold it together while they were out, and we did. We didnt win as many as we wanted, but we still competed. And when we started getting our pieces back, we knew we were going to be OK. Those young pitchers really helped us finish it off.Cespedes right quadriceps continues to nag him, although he minimized the injury Sunday.I think after I came back, the whole team collectively started to improve, Cespedes said through an interpreter. And I think thats why we are where were at now. I feel good. I think Im ready physically and Im ready mentally. Thats the most important thing. ' ' '